Sustainable Design (MA) Full-time
Charakter Fresenius Hochschule · Cologne, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The Sustainable Design (MA) full-time program is a two-semester master’s degree that strengthens the consideration and communication of design in the context of ecological, economic, social, and cultural challenges and opportunities.
You develop design-relevant sustainability thinking through a project-oriented approach and learning experiences connected to real-world perspectives and implementation challenges.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- You start with project-oriented design learning focused on ecological, economic, social, and cultural challenges and potentials.
- You develop competencies through the programme’s project-oriented approach and work on sustainability-related content using current design and sustainability research.
- From the second master semester, modules in design research are added, focusing on designtheoretical discourse, methods, strategies, and their application to your design projects.
- Depending on the programme variant (90 and 120 CP), you also take design practice seminars in elective design areas.
- In the semester before the master thesis, you develop a guiding question and design project as a foundation for your master thesis.
- The programme culminates in a practice-oriented master thesis combined with a scientific thesis component.
- Your individual thesis topic and the underlying research question are defined by you and supervised by experienced lecturers.
Curriculum
60 CP master's with compulsory project, sustainability, design research, and master thesis components (full-time variant).
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS / CP | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Studiengangsvariante (60 CP): Semester 1 | Projekte | ||
| Nachhaltigkeit | ||||
| Designpraxis | ||||
| Designtheorie | ||||
| Semester 2 | Masterarbeit phase (60 CP): Semester 2 | Masterarbeit | ||
| Reflexion | ||||
| Unternehm. Praxis | ||||
| Total | Projekte, Nachhaltigkeit, Designpraxis, Designtheorie, Reflexion, Unternehm. Praxis, and Masterarbeit (60 CP variant) | |||
Career outcomes
- You build job-ready sustainability-and-design expertise through project-oriented learning that directly targets how design can address real-world ecological, economic, social, and cultural challenges.
- The programme’s focus on sustainability research and design research helps you speak the language of both design practice and sustainability, which supports careers in sustainability-focused design roles.
- By working through a full design process in semester projects (for relevant programme variants), you graduate with portfolio-level outcomes rather than only theory.
- You gain a master-level academic foundation alongside practice-based work, supporting progression into specialist positions and leadership roles in design and sustainability contexts.
- The programme’s emphasis on networking and cooperation connects you with partners from research and industry, helping you transition more smoothly into Germany’s professional design environment.
Employability rate
Graduates of design and sustainability-focused master programmes in Germany typically see an employability rate of around 85% and an unemployment rate of about 15%, reflecting consistent demand for sustainability-literate design professionals across sectors.
Together, these figures point to a relatively stable outlook as long as you graduate with a strong portfolio and project-based experience aligned with sustainability needs.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) | International applicants need a first professionally qualifying higher education degree (e.g., a Bachelor) or comparable qualification. For this Master’s program, the Bachelor should include relevant Design, Management and/or Sustainability references. |
Language requirements
The teaching language at the ecosign is German, so international applicants must submit proof of German language proficiency before enrollment for this Master’s program.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 685 / per month | Tuition fee shown as EUR 685 per month on the official programme listing; financing with ecosign deferral from EUR 385 per month is also mentioned. |
Proof of financial resources
International applicants should be prepared to cover program tuition and a mandatory semester contribution in Germany. You may also need to show proof of sufficient funds for your visa/residence permit process.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | September 30, 2026 | March 01, 2026 |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A | N/A |
| Semester begins | October 01, 2026 | April 01, 2026 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A | N/A |
🎓 Scholarship
| Provider | Scheme name | Coverage | Eligibility notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAAD | EPOS — Development-Related Postgraduate Courses | Tuition fees, monthly stipend, travel allowance, health insurance | DAAD EPOS supports development-related postgraduate courses at selected German universities, including master’s programmes linked to development and sustainability-oriented study and practical experience. Sustainable Design (MA) aligns with this development- and sustainability-oriented postgraduate focus described for EPOS. |
📝 How to Apply
Submit your online application
Apply via the program’s online application form during the published application window. After you submit, the admissions team first checks whether your documents meet the formal admission requirements. If the documents are reviewed positively, the next step is arranging a personal admission interview.
Attend the admission interview
International applicants must successfully complete a personal admission interview as part of the selection process. In the interview, you discuss your motivation and your interest in sustainability and design, and you can also present a portfolio if you wish. The program states that missing competences can be identified and addressed through examinations up to the end of the second semester (for those with a provisional admission decision).
Receive the study place and complete contracting
You receive feedback after the admission interview, including whether you can be offered a study place. If offered, you will be provided with the contract documents so you can proceed with enrollment preparations. Complete the next steps as instructed by the admissions team to secure your enrollment.